Sunday, August 21, 2011

A Run to Remember

I have been thoroughly enjoying my training runs with my husband and if you had asked me before we started training together if it was going to work out- I would probably not have been too optimistic. Two weeks ago we ran 9, and I wasn't feeling too great. Last week we ran 11, and I felt fabulous, so tonight I was a bit nervous and I didn't quite know what to expect.

Having 3 kids, we have to run later in the evening. Dani (my cousin) is living with us (SCORE!!) and it has been a huge blessing and allows Dave and I to go running together.

We had decided to leave around 7:30 and at 6 the sky opened and the lightning started. Dave isn't too happy to run in the lightning (I'm not either) but I kept saying that it is going to blow over. I kinda had worked out in my head that if it was still raining we could run a short route but that was not to be.

We started out and right at the .5 mile mark I looked over and saw an alligator looking right at us- that is right folks- it was NOT IN THE WATER!!! it was sitting right in the grass, right next to where we were running and I was honestly ready to turn around and head right back home and had I been by myself I just might have done that, but I was running with Dave (fearless!!!) and we kept going.

We got to about the 2 mile mark when we saw the family of deer that we have seen on our runs for the last 3 weeks but instead of running away, they just kept eating and I wish I had brought my phone to take a picture but since there was a rain chance I left it at home (I could NOT live without my iPhone!!!).

Mile 3.5 we started to see a lot of lightning and we decided that we needed to pick up the pace. This is also about the time that I tried to avoid the puddle and I ended up with soaked shoes and socks and 5 more miles to go.

I have said it before but I really believe that I am built for longer distances. It takes me a good 4 miles to start feeling really good and then I am totally in my groove and I can do as many more miles as I need to.

We got to mile 6.5 and my wonderful ipod started to act very peculiar. I had been listening to a podcast by Christine Caine when she spoke at Elevation Church, I feel like I was doing really good up until the ipod went crazy and I knew we only had 2 more miles left. We picked up the pace (again!!) and finished strong at 1:27.

I am feeling really strong and I'm not to concerned about the races that are coming up in the next few months.

School starts for my 2 oldest tomorrow...so off to bed I am going, since I have mommy duties that are a bit rusty and kids that are not going to want to get up in the morning.